Manuscript manipulating device for speakers



Jan. 23, 1940. R. F. SMITH 2,188,210

MANUSCRIPT MANIPULATING DEVICE FOR SPEAKERS Filed Sept. 13, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 a 66 so 28 24 62 26 1 1e x s; u

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5 l .2 v 2O Flel INVENTOR RUSSELL FOLLETT SMITH ATTORN EY Jan. 23, 1940. sMrrH MANUSCRIPT MANIPULATING DEVICE FOR SPEAKERS FiledS- ept. .15, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG 3 AST w m mm 7 n s 1 1111/ N 11/11/11 [I III III] 17/ l/[J INVENTOR BY RUSSELL FOLLETT SMTH ATTORN EY Patented Jan. 23, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

I Russell Follett Smith, Providence, 8.. I. Application September 13, 1938, Serial No. 22931 2 4 Claims.

'My invention relates to improvements in manuscript manipulating devices for speakers. I am aware that others have attempted to provide manuscript strip manipulating devices for speak- I ers, but so far as I am aware these have not worked in a satisfactory manner in practice. Such types of devices are particularly desirable in radio use where a broadcast has to begin and positively end on time. My invention is also adapted to be used by other typesof speakers. such as political speakers, after-dinner speakers, etc.

A feature of my invention, particularly adapted for radio use, is to permit a ghost writer to actually prepare the manuscript so that the high priced artist or speaker can positively get through on time. An object of my invention is to provide such a device wherein either the ghost writer or the transcribing typewriting secretary is familiar with the speed of talking or enunciation of the artist or orator, so that once the speed of delivery of the artist or orator is known, the ghost writer or secretary can positively continuously write speeches for the artist or orator which will positively be concluded within the time limit.

A further feature of my invention is to provide such a device wherein a certain leeway is given for app ause. This feature of my inven-. tion is more particularly adapted for political 30 ten interrupted by applausaas may also often happen at guest nights in radio broadcasting studios. and for this purpose I provide as large a display area as possible in the manuscript manipulating device, and provide a central emphasizing slit to tell the orator or speaker where he should be at each instant of his speech to finish approximately on time, so that he may selectively either omit portions of his manuscript or speed his rate of delivery to catch up, or again, if he anticipates applause, to anticipate his delivery to allow for applause at the proper time.

A further feature of my invention relates to the mechanism I preferably employ for driving mechanism being constructed in a simple manher with a minimum number of parts, both for cheapness of manufacture and ease of assem-- or after-dinner speeches, which speeches are of-' the stripmanuscript through the device, such,

containing the feed roll, the weight of the manuscript roll itself, vertically movable within the compartment, providing sullicient weight so that the manuscript will be fed under the window in taut strip form. 5

A further object of my invention is to provide a device which may conveniently employ a synchronous electric motor positively run at constant speed so that as it constantly drives the manuscript strip, a definite amount of manu- 10 script will be hated tothe speaker's vision in a definite time interval. The disadvantage in using a constant speed synchronous motor has been that there are now no variable speed synchronous motors on the market. and no varying means have been hitherto provided for speakers with different rates of delivery. For this purpose, therefore, I provide a constant speed synchronous electric motor, and I provide variationsfor different rates of delivery in the strip manu 80 script material itself. I provide said manuscript strip with equally longitudinally spaced markings thereon indicative of equal lapses of time, providing between them successive areas of equal size for receiving equal amounts of manuscript printed matter or indicia. To provide a combination which will accommodate different rates of delivery, I provide on said strip manuscript a plurality of markings successively spaced from 4 the left hand margin thereof, in the embodiment knowing the rate of delivery 01 the artist or ora- "reference indicate like parts throughout, it generally indicates a strip manuscript manipulating .device for speakers, constructed in accordance with my invention. This device includes 2. casing 12, having a base l4, side walls It and I8, end walls 20 and 22, and top wall 24. I provide the window 26 in the top wall 24 thereof so that the speaker may readily observe the manuscript. The top wall is preferably mounted so to be downwardly inclined towards the speaker and for this purpose the front end wall 20 is preferably of less,than half the height of the rear wall 22. So that successive rolls or strips of manuscript strip may be successively inserted in, and em ployed on and removed from my device,'I preferably provide a removable cover, includingthe top wall 24. The cover 25, whether it be removable or otherwise, is preferably provided with a window therein, in my preferred embodiment of slightly less than the length and width thereof. In my preferred embodiment said window 26 preferably has portions of lesser transparency 28 extending from each end thereof and terminating near the center thereof, providing between the inner ends thereof a central fully transparent emphasizing slit 30. In practice a transparent member is provided as the window which may be of glass or other suitable transparent material, and to provide the portions 28 of lesser transparency, the colored screens 28 may be cemented or otherwise secured to the inner surface of the glass. I provide means adjacent one end of the casing for rotatablymounting a roll 32 of manuscript strip thereon, said roll preferably comprising a cylinder 32, having laminated layers of manuscript strip at wound thereon. This cylinder 32 is preferably constituted of light steel to provide the desired weight.

In my preferred embodiment for this purpose the base i4 of the casing i2 is provided with a partition 35 projecting upwardly therefrom, ex-

terior of and adjacent to one end of said window 26, forming a compartment 36 for loosely containing the roll 32 of manuscript strip therein. The upper end 38 of said partition 35 thus forms a guide for guiding the manuscript in strip form underneath said window 26. While I have shown a solid wall for this purpose, it is apparent that any type of a partition which will abut the ends of the roll to form the compartment 36 may be employed. In my preferred embodiment I provide the strip guide rod 40 extending transversely of said casing adjacent to the opposite end of said window 26.

I also provide rotatable take up roll means, mounted transversely of the opposite end of said casing, and a feature of my invention relates to the specific structure of this rotatable take up roll means. For this purpose, I provide the two slightly longitudinally spaced friction drive rolls 42 and 44, rotatably mounted transversely of said casing i2 below said guide roll 40. To provide means to drive said drive rolls I provide a constant sped synchronous electric motor 46 mounted in said casing, and I provide a train of gearing d3 connecting the motor shaft 50 with the friction drive rolls 42 and 44 as shown in more detail in Fig. 4. As stated, I preferably employ a constant speed motor as no other type of means drives said take up roll means at constant speed, and so far as I am aware there are no other types of positive constant speed motors now on the market, I preferably employ a socalled synchronous electric motor for this purpose, and it is obvious that the train of gearing 48, being driven by the motor shaft 50 will positively drive the friction drive rolls 42 and 44 at constant synchronous speed.

As the take up roll for the manuscript strip 34, I provide a heavy cylindrical weighted take up roll 54, adapted to have the manuscript strip 34 wound thereon in laminated layers resting on each of said feed rolls to be frictionally driven thereby with a double nip, namely a nip 56 against the feed roll #32, and a nip 58 against the feed roll at, it being obvious that as the manuscript strip 34 is wound on the take up roll 54, that the take up roll 54 will increase in circumference but continuously abut the feed rolls 42 and M at said two nips 56 and 58. v

I may, as shown in my preferred embodiment, provide a light 60 mounted within said casing preferably directly underneath said emphasizing slit 30, to perform the double function of emphasizingly illuminating said slit 30, and also the manuscript strip throughout the length of the portions 23 of lesser transparency to positively display the indicia or printed matter 62 thereon with lesser emphasis through said portions 28 than through said emphasizing slit 30. I provide suitable switch means as and 66 on the exterior of said casing i2 for connecting said motor 46, and light Bil, where employed, to a source .of electric current through the connecting cable 68. In the preferred embodiment shown the wires 10 from the connecting cable 68 are passed through the transverse cavity M in a hollow block I2 mounted transversely within said casing i2 to the motor 56 and light 60, each mounted on said block 12, said wires it thus being hidden from view.

While my invention as hitherto described is entirely suitable for feeding any type of manuscript strip to the view of artists, orators or other speakers, in order that a combination may be provided which will positively deliver the manuscript to the speaker so that he may positively finish on time, I preferably provide in combination with the device hitherto described requiring a constant speed synchronous motor, a novel type of manuscript about to be described. Said manuscript strlp has the equally longitudinally spaced markings M thereon, indicative of equal lapses of time, in the embodiment shown, being indicative of successive minutes past eight o'clock, although other markings of equal time intervals may be employed. It is thus apparent that the markings i4 provide between them on the manuscript strip successive areas 16 of equal size for receiving equal amounts of manuscript indicia whether it be printed, typewritten or scribed.

I also provide a plurality of markings 18, as more particularly shown in Fig. 5, successively spaced from the left hand margin of the manuscript strip, defining selective left hand margins for the successive equal areas 16 to cut down the size of said areas 16 to successively limited to the specific accommodate diiferent amounts of indicia in said areas for varying degrees of rate of speech delivery; thus as shown the markings 18c nearest the left hand margin of the manuscript strip I2, to provide the areas 18c of larger size for an orator employing a fast delivery; the center markings 10b to provide areas 18b of appropriate size for a speakerof average delivery; and the right hand marking 18a to provide areas "a of desired still smaller size for a speaker of slow delivery. It is obvious, however, that in place of three markings, any desired number of markings may be employed.

To employ my device, the person setting up the manuscript strip first decides whether the speaker will have a slow, average, or fast delivery, and makes his areas I8 of the desired size for the desired rate of delivery employing one of the selective markings Ila, 1811 or 180 for this purpose, and fills up the proper sized areas "a, lib or 180 with the written words of the text of the speech. It is then obvious that the markings ll on the manuscript strip will indicate to the particular speaker the amount he is able to say within the time intervals indicated between the successive markings 14, in the embodiment shown, minutes. The manuscript is then wound on the roll 34, or in roll form if a mounting roll is not employed, and inserted in the compartment 38, threaded over the guide edge 38, underneath the window 28, over the guide rod 40, and around the weighted take up roll 54. The light 60 may then be lighted, the motor 46 started, and the speaker speaks. He thenreads off and delivers his speech and where he should be in his speech is constantly brought before him through the medium of the emphasizing slit 30, but due to the great length of the window 26, it is obvious that he may either anticipate his time, or fall behind in the embodiment shown at least a minute, so that he can either anticipate applause or attempt to catch up after applause during the remainder of his speech. As stated hitherto, this feature is particularly useful where the speech is apt to be broken into by applause, as the manuscript is positively driven forward at constant speed and if the speaker keeps his slit $0 in the middle, he will positively finish on time. It is apparent, therefore, if the speaker keeps up with the device, the device is foolproof to make the speaker finish on time.

It is ,fipparent that I have provided a novel type of strip manuscript manipulating device with advantages explained above.

It .is understood that my invention is not embodiment shown and that various deviations may be made therefrom without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.-

What I claim is:

1. A strip manuscript manipulating device. comprising a casing, a cover for said casing having a window of slightly less than the len th and width thereof therein, saidwindow having portions of lesser transparency extending from each end thereof and terminating near the center thereof to provide a central transparent transverse emphasizing slit, said casing having a partition projecting upwardly therefrom exterior of and adjacent to one end of said window forming a compartment for loosely containing a roll of strip manuscript therein, the upper edge of said partitionforming a guide for guiding the manuscript strip in strip form underneath said window, a guide extending transversely of said casing adjacent the opposite end of said window, two slightly longitudinally spaced friction drive rolls rotatably mounted transversely of the opposite end of said casing below said guide roll, means to drive said friction drive rolls at constant speed, a weighted take up roll adapted to have said manuscript strip wound thereon resting on said drive rolls to be frictionally driven thereby, and a light mounted within said casing underneath said emphasizing slit.

2. A strip manuscript manipulating device, comprising a casing, a cover for said casing having a window therein, said casing having a partition projecting upwardly therefrom exterior of and adjacent to one end of said window forming a compartment for loosely containing a roll of strip manuscript therein, the upper edge of said partition forming a guide for guiding the manuscript strip in strip form underneath said window, a guide extending transversely of said casing adjacent the opposite end of said window, rotatable take up roll means mounted transversely of said casing below said guide roll, and means to drive said take up roll means at constant speed.

3. A strip manuscript manipulating device, comprising a casing, a cover for said casing having a window therein, said window having portions of lesser transparency extending from each end thereof and terminating near the center thereof to provide a central transparent transverse emphasizing slit, means adjacent one end of said casing for rotatably mounting a roll of strip manuscript, rotatable take up roll means mounted transversely of the opposite end of said casing, means to drive said take up roll means at constant speed, and a light mounted within said casing underneath said emphasizing slit.

4. A strip manuscript manipulating device, comprising a casing, a cover for said casinghaving a window therein, means adjacent one end of said casing for rotatably mounting a roll of strip manuscript, two slightly longitudinally spaced friction drive rolls rotatably mounted transversely of the opposite end of said casing, means to drive said-friction drive rolls at constant speed, and a weighted take up roll adapted to have said strip? manuscript wound thereon resting on said drive rolls to be frictionally driven thereby.

RUSSELL FOLLEI'I' SMITH. 

